The Past Perfect??

Hi,
Please help me sort it out.

1a) He again came to the village where he lived in his childhood.
b) He again came to the village where he had lived in his childhood.

2a) A girl who was standing near the beech tree came up to us.
b) A girl who had been standing near the beech tree came up to us.

3a) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he stopped reading.
b) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he had stopped reading.

4a) The files used for the blackmail were stolen from my PC.
b) The files used for the blackmail had been stolen from my PC.

My choice is all a’s. Am I right?
Thanks.

Actually, I think you could go either way on most of these, depending on exactly what meaning you want to convey, and how much you want to emphasize the "pastness" of the earlier or background action.

1a) He again came to the village where he lived in his childhood.
b) He again came to the village where he had lived in his childhood.

I'd choose b), there.

2a) A girl who was standing near the beech tree came up to us.
b) A girl who had been standing near the beech tree came up to us.

The second one seems to imply that she did not go directly from the tree to the speaker. Maybe she moved to another spot and stopped there before arriving at the speaker.

3a) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he stopped reading.
b) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he had stopped reading.

The second one says that he first stopped reading and then he turned the page. The first one is ambiguous regarding what came first.

4a) The files used for the blackmail were stolen from my PC.
b) The files used for the blackmail had been stolen from my PC.

Equal, in most conetxts.

1a) He again came to the village where he lived in his childhood.
b) He again came to the village where he had lived in his childhood.

I'd choose b), there.

2a) A girl who was standing near the beech tree came up to us.
b) A girl who had been standing near the beech tree came up to us.

The second one seems to imply that she did not go directly from the tree to the speaker. Maybe she moved to another spot and stopped there before arriving at the speaker.

3a) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he stopped reading.
b) He turned the corner of the page to mark the place where he had stopped reading.

The second one says that he first stopped reading and then he turned the page. The first one is ambiguous regarding what came first.

4a) The files used for the blackmail were stolen from my PC.
b) The files used for the blackmail had been stolen from my PC.

Equal, in most contexts.

Same old story. Whenever I've got doubts about a choice either is possible.
Thanks, guest and M56.